Welcome to KidLit Cares, an online talent auction to benefit the Red Cross relief effort to help communities recover from Superstorm Sandy. KidLit Cares was started by the very awesome Kate Messner, but I’m taking over Round 2. Agents, editors, authors, illustrators and other generous people have donated various services to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to the Red Cross disaster relief fund. You can read more about KidLit Cares here.

Now, on to the auction!

Lily Malcom and Jessica Garrison have worked closely together on many picture books at Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Jessica is an editor at Dial and Lily is the Executive Art Director.

Lily and Jess are happy to offer an author/illustrator the opportunity to have your picture book dummy critiqued. We will review the manuscript and sketch dummy along with any final art samples you may have. In addition, we will offer a portfolio critique of your illustration work. As the winner of this auction item, you will receive a written critique of both the picture book dummy and your portfolio. And this isn’t just for author/illustrators—if a separate author and illustrator would like to collaborate on a project and bid together, we welcome that too.

Opening Bid: $30

This auction closes at 10pm Eastern Standard Time on November 24. Any bids placed after that time will be void.

If you’d like to bid on this auction, check the current high bid and place a higher bid by leaving your name and bid amount in the comments, along with some way to contact you (email, FB or Twitter…I’m not fussy.) Winners will be notified when the auction ends and should be prepared to make an online donation to the Red Cross Disaster Relief fund in the amount of the high bid at that time.  After you’ve made your donation, you’ll forward your receipt to me, and I’ll put you in touch with the person who donated the service you won so that the two of you can work out the details about how and when.   All services will be provided at the convenience of both the person making the donation and the auction winner, but this should happen within three months of the auction’s end unless something else is agreed upon by both parties.

Good luck and thanks for your help!

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